NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Orlando (10-3 SU, 9-4 ATS) at Boston (11-5 SU and ATS)

The second-seeded Magic, who trailed the best-of-7 Eastern Conference finals 3-0, now have a chance to knot it up when they face the Celtics in Game 6 at TD Garden.

Orlando ran away from Boston in Game 5, outscoring the Celts 29-17 in the fourth quarter en route to a 113-92 blowout as a four-point home favorite. Jameer Nelson had 24 points, and Dwight Howard added 21 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Magic. Orlando shot a solid 52.2 percent from the floor (36 of 69), including an eye-catching 52 percent from 3-point range (13 of 25), and Stan Van Gundy’s troops posted a hefty 43-26 edge on the glass.

Rasheed Wallace (21 points) was the only player to break 20 points for Boston, which shot 43.1 percent overall (31 of 72) and 43.8 percent from long distance (7 of 16). The Celtics had just four offensive rebounds, while allowing 10 for Orlando, and they got banged up – Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels both suffered concussions, putting their status in question, and Wallace tweaked his back.

Orlando is 5-4 SU and Boston 5-4 ATS in the nine meetings this year between these two, with the Magic taking Games 4 and 5 SU and ATS after a 5-1 ATS run (4-2 SU) by Boston. Despite Orlando holding court at home in Game 5, the road team and the visitor are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 clashes in this rivalry, and the Magic are 4-1 ATS on their last five visits to the Garden.

The SU winner has cashed in 21 of the last 23 meetings between these teams, including 15 of the last 16 and the last six in a row. Additionally, the SU winner has cashed in each of Boston’s last 26 games overall, including all 16 playoff contests, and the SU winner is 20-1 ATS in the Magic’s last 21 contests.

Orlando is 30-17 (27-19-1 ATS) on the highway this season and has won 13 of its last 16 away from home (11-4-1 ATS), including Monday’s 96-92 overtime win as a seven-point pup in Game 4 in Beantown. The Magic are 5-1 SU and ATS in playoff roadies this year. Boston is 30-19 SU this season at the Garden but just 18-30-1 ATS. In the playoffs, the Celtics are 6-2 SU and ATS at home.

The Magic are on several positive pointspread sprees, including 22-8-1 overall, 7-1 in roadies, 7-1 after a spread-cover, 21-7-1 after a SU win, 20-7-1 after a day off and 18-7 against Atlantic Division foes.

Despite dropping their last two SU and ATS, the Celtics remain on pointspread upswings of 6-2 overall, 4-1 after either a SU or an ATS loss, 6-2 at home, 6-2 after a day off, 5-2 laying points and 7-3 against the Southeast Division.

Orlando sports a bundle of “under” streaks, including 8-4-1 overall (5-2 last seven), 16-5 on Friday, 37-14-1 after a day off, 9-4 as a pup (all on the road) and 42-20 against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Likewise, Boston is on “under” rolls of 10-4 in conference finals contests and 4-1 after a non-cover, but the over is 35-16 in the Celts’ last 51 starts after a SU loss.

The last two games of this series cleared the posted price, with Game 5 sailing over the 186½-point total. Still, the total has stayed low in 10 of the last 13 overall between these two teams (6-3 this season) and five of the last six meetings in Boston.

ATS ADVANTAGE:                   UNDER

NATIONAL LEAGUE

L.A. Dodgers (26-21) at Colorado (25-22)

The Dodgers send right-hander Carlos Monasterios (1-0, 1.90 ERA) to the mound at Coors Field in Denver opposite Rockies’ southpaw Jeff Francis (1-0, 0.68).

Los Angeles just dropped two of three in Chicago, getting shut out twice, including Thursday’s 1-0 loss. The Dodgers are still on several positive streaks, including 18-7 overall, 57-27 against N.L. West rivals, 7-2 on the road, 4-0 on Friday and 5-2 in series openers.

Colorado made it five straight victories – its longest win streak of the season – with Thursday’s 8-2 victory over the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are on positive runs of 56-25 at home, 37-15 as a home favorite, 39-19 at home against right-handers, 5-1 as a favorite and 46-17 at home against teams with losing road records.

The Dodgers took two of three from the Rockies in Los Angeles earlier this month and have won 19 of the last 26 meetings, including five of the last six in Colorado.

Monasterios has just one career start, coming back on May 1 at home against the Pirates, when he allowed one run on three hits in four innings of a 5-1 victory. He’s appeared in 12 games this season with his last coming on May 19 at home when he pitched three innings of relief in a 10-5 loss to the Padres, allowing just one hit and no runs.

Francis is making just his third start of the season after missing the entire 2009 season. He opened at home by beating the Nationals 2-1, allowing one run on seven hits in seven innings, then followed up with Saturday’s 3-0 victory in Kansas City, blanking the Royals on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Francis is 5-3 in 14 career starts against the Dodgers with a 2.73 ERA. The Rockies are 21-10 in his last 31 at home against a team with a winning record, but just 1-8 in his last nine series-opening starts.

Los Angeles has stayed below the posted total in six of seven on the road, five of six against N.L. West teams, four of five on Friday and five of seven as an underdog. Colorado has topped the total in six of eight series openers, and six of nine when Francis has started a series opener, but it is on “under” surges of 6-0-1 in Francis’ last seven starts overall, 5-1-1 when he pitches at home and 6-1 when he’s a favorite.

With Francis on the hill, this series has stayed “under” in six of his last eight starts, nine of the last 12 meetings overall and four of the last five in the Mile High City.

ATS ADVANTAGE:                   LOS ANGELES and UNDER

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Texas (26-21) at Minnesota (27-20)

The Rangers, losers of three of their last four but still sitting atop the A.L. West standings, send Colby Lewis (4-2, 3.45 ERA) to the mound at Target Field to face Kevin Slowey (5-3, 4.53) and the Twins in the opener of a three-game series.

Texas split a two-game set at Kansas City this week, winning 8-7 on Tuesday before dropping a 5-2 contest on Wednesday. The Rangers’ 1-3 slump follows a five-game winning streak. They are just 1-6 in their last seven road games, 0-8 on the road against teams with winning records and 1-4 on the road against right-handers, but they have won 21 of 29 Friday contests and five of six against A.L. Central squads.

Minnesota salvaged the final game of a three-game home set against the Yankees on Thursday, winning 8-2. The Twins are on streaks of 25-11 at home, 39-15 on Friday, 4-1 against A.L. West teams and 38-18 as favorites, but they are just 3-6 in their last nine overall and 1-4 in their last vie versus teams.

The Twins have taken 10 of the last 14 at home against Texas and won six of nine overall battles last season.

The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak with Lewis on the hill a week ago when he limited the White Sox to one run on five hits over six innings of a 2-1 victory. On the road this season, Lewis is 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA, allowing 13 runs in 31 innings of work. Lewis has just one career start against the Twins, coming back in 2003 when he allowed three runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss. Texas is just 5-11 in Lewis’ last 16 roadies, but 6-2 in his last eight as a ‘dog and 4-0 in his last four Friday starts.

Slowey has led the Twins to four wins in his last five outings, including Saturday when he gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers, getting a no-decision in Minnesota’s 8-7 home win. At Target Field, he is 2-2 with a 4.34 ERA, giving up 14 runs in 29 innings. His lone outing against the Rangers came in 2007 when he gave up just one run on four hits in six innings of a 5-4 victory, striking out seven. Minnesota is 19-7 in Slowey’s last 26 home starts, 14-4 in his last 18 when he gets five days off, 9-1 in his last 10 on Friday and 8-2 in his last 10 series openers.

Texas is on a plethora of “under” runs, including 4-1 overall, 5-2 as an underdog, 6-1 in Lewis’ last seven as a road ‘dog, 13-3 when he starts on the road, 4-1 in his last five overall and 5-2 when he throws the series opener. Minnesota has topped the total in 37 of 55 Friday games and six of Slowey’s last seven Friday outings, but the team in on “under” stretches of 10-4 as a favorite, 13-7-1 overall and 7-3 at home.

In this rivalry, the under is 3-1-1 in the last five clashes and 4-0 in the last four in Minnesota.

ATS ADVANTAGE:                   UNDER